Overview
The read-aloud app for all of Windows.
Most read-aloud tools live inside one browser tab or one document viewer. Readwave is a proper Windows app: a single global hotkey reads text aloud in any program — your browser, PDFs, email, chat, even code comments — with natural neural voices that run on your own machine.
Free tier · no account · Ctrl+Alt+R
How it works
Three steps, then listen
One hotkey, every app
Highlight text anywhere in Windows 11 and press Ctrl+Alt+R. No importing, no switching to a special reader — Readwave reads what's already in front of you.
Natural neural voices
Four voices in US and UK English built on the Kokoro neural TTS engine — warm and even for long listening, a world away from the default Windows voice.
A calm listening workflow
Adjust speed on the fly, pause and resume, and save longer reads to a listen-later Queue so you can get through your reading list on your own time.
Why Readwave
What makes it different
Works everywhere, not one place
Because it's system-wide, you learn one shortcut and it reads every app — instead of a different tool for the browser, the PDF, and the inbox.
Private and offline
The voices are generated locally, so your text never leaves your device on the free path — and it keeps working with no internet.
Free to start — 20,000 words / week
No account needed. Pro ($8/mo or $69/yr, 14-day free trial) adds unlimited reading, Smart Reading, and translate-and-read for 40+ languages.
FAQ
Good to know
- What can it read?
- Anything selectable on screen: web pages, PDFs, Word and Google Docs, email, Slack/Discord, code comments, and more. If you can highlight it, Readwave can read it.
- Which Windows versions are supported?
- Readwave targets Windows 11. The neural voice engine is bundled with the installer, so there's no Python or extra setup to configure.
- Is there a free version?
- Yes — a permanent free tier with four neural voices and 20,000 words / week, no account required.